Cuisine Eric

These are crunchy and jammy delights. A dash of coarse cornmeal gives them crackle, nuts give them flavor and jam gives them comfort. They are especially easy to prepare last minute, because the butter should be refrigerator-cold (no waiting for butter to get to room temperature!), so they are a go-to recipe for last minute cookie needs! 1/3 cup mixed nuts (or nuts of choice) 1/3 cup sugar 1-1/4 cup flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta) 1 stick cold butter, cut into 20-24 cubes 1 egg, well beaten 1 Tsp vanilla ~1 Tbsp ice water, or as needed 1/3 cup raspberry (or favorite) jam Confectioner’s sugar for garnish Preheat oven to 350F. Carefully pulse the mixed nuts in a food processor about a dozen times or so, until coarse chunks (size good for cookies), but not a floury meal. Remove to a bowl. Add the next group of ingredients to the food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the cold butter and pulse 12-15 times, just to incorporate the butter - you should still hav...

A friend next door helped me out today on short notice and, as they say, was a life saver! So I really wanted to thank her with something special and from the heart. So what about some French wine and home-made cookies, left on her back porch?! These are a fun mix of chocolate chips - milk, dark and white - with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. What's not to like? Thanks Lindsey!!! And Bon Appetite! 1-1/8 cups flour (1 cup plus 2 Tbsp) 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 stick butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/4-inch slices A scant 3/4 cup white sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg, room temperature 1-1/4 cup mixed (white, milk, dark) chocolate chips (1/2 bag or 4.5 oz) 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup salted sunflower seeds Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together the first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Now add the next 3 ingredients to a large bowl and beat them together to a smooth creamy texture. Add the egg and beat it in until you have a rich yellow creamy texture. Now...

It's Christmas time and that means gingersnap cookies to me! Use whatever spices you love in these crispy cookies with a chewy center. Merry Christmas. Dry ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp dried ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp ground dried cardamom (optional) 1/8 tsp ground dried coriander (optional) 1/4 tsp salt Wet ingredients Step 1: 6 Tbsp room-temperature softened butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar Step 2: 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced finely using a microplane 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 Tbsp un-sulphured molasses Topping: 1/4 cup Turbinado granular sugar, or brown sugar, or whatever you have Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Whisk (or sift) dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip together step 1 of the wet ingredients in their own separate bowl.   Add ingredients for step 2 and whip together to a glossy consistency. Now add half the wet ingredients into t...

These are classics.  Full of maple goodness and crunchy walnuts.  The kids love 'em! Dry ingredients: 4 cups all purpose flour   2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup walnut pieces, finely diced 2 sticks butter, softened   1 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract   Preheat oven to 400F. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Blend softened butter in a mixture.   Add the sugar and mix well.   Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the walnuts and then the dry ingredients just until mixed. Shape to ping pong ball size and separate in cookie sheet by 2 inch.  Press down with tines of a fork. Bake about 12 minutes. Let cool on a rack.    Makes about 20-24 cookies. ...a great midnight snack!